donally



M. E. DONALLY. BOTTLING APPARATUS.

2 sneetA-sneet 1.

(No Model.)

Patented Oct. 13

. 2 Sheets-Sh6et .2 M. B. DON-ALLY- BOTTLING APPARATUS.

Patented Oct. 13, 1896.

- (No Model.)

Inz/eniar: WWW (9 *7- mMzWM 8 .fl tg UNITED STATES MELVIN E. DONALLY,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BOTTLlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,180, dated October13, 1896.

Application filed June 8, 1893. Serial No. 476,907. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MELVIN E. DONALLY, acitizen of the Dominion of Canada, and a resident of the city, county,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Bottling Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and exact description thereof,reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,making a part of this specification.

This invention relates to the bottling of liquids, such as beer, byhand, that is to say, when manipulation of each bottle by the attendantis required. As the operation is usually conducted, each bottling-tubeis compressed by the operator to stop the flow of the liquid as hewithdraws the end or nozzle of the tube from one bottle and prepares toinsert it in another, and while the operator is transferring tubes frombottles already filled to empty bottles the liquid is flowing throughother tubes which will at once require attention. If the operator isnegligent or for any reason is unable to stop the fiow into certainbottles at the proper time, such bottles will be filled to overflowingand more orless liquid will be wasted. Moreover, as the operators nervesandmuscles become wearied by almost ceaseless repetitions of the sameact, it will frequently happen that he will fail to shut off the flow ofliquid completely through the tubes which he is transferring, with theresult that considerable waste is occasioned.

The object of the invention is to provide a device that will efiectuallyprevent waste in the ways just noted, and will thereby be of great valueto bottlers who, by reason of lack of space or of insufficient businessfor a machine or on account of the cost of a machine, do not use abottling-machine in their business. To this endIprovide for eachbottlingtube a stopper which will prevent the escape of liquid from thebottle around the tube, and an elastic holder attached to the stopper ortube and adapted to engage the neck or mouth of the bottle to hold thetube and stopper in place even after the bottle has been completelyfilled. The stopper may take avariety of'forms within the scope of myinvention, it being essential merely that it shall fit snugly around thetube in order to prevent the escape of liquid between itself and thetube. It may itself, by contact with the bottle-mouth, prevent the flowof liquid therefrom, or it may cover the mouth of the bottle loosely,like a cap, while the clamp or holder before referred to may have acontinuous bearing upon the bottle-neck and so retain any liquid thatmay flow between the cap and the bottle-mouth.

As a further feature of the invention I provide means whereby a clip orother valve, which is used to permit or prevent the flow of liquidthrough the tube, may be opened automatically when the tube and bottleare brought together.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a barrelwith a series of filling tubes, two of which are shown as equipped withone form of my improved device and applied to bottles. Fig. 2 is avertical central section of one form of the improved device, showingalso portions of a bottle and the filling and vent tubes. Fig. 3 is avertical central section on a plane at right angles to that representedin' Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section similar to Fig. 2, butwithout the bottle and showing a valve in the vent-tube. Fig. 5 is arear view of a portion of a frame having a series of tubes, stoppers,and holders fixed thereto and to which the bottles may be applied, anautomatic valve-operatin g arrangement being also shown. Fig. 6 is avertical central section on the line 00 a; of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sideelevation of a modified form of the stopper and holder. Fig. 8 is avertical central section of the construction shown in Fig. 7, with theupper part of a bottle shown in elevation. Fig. 9 is a horizontalsection of the line y y of Fig. 7.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have represented at A a cask or barrel fromwhich the liquid to be bottled is drawn, a series of bottling or fillingtubes/B, and a corresponding series of gas-return tubes b, said tubeshaving independent connections with the cask or barrel and each pair,composedof a single filling tube and a single gas tube, being adapted tobe applied to a bottle to be filled,

It will be understood that in the arrangement represented the fillingtubes B pass through the bung O and enter the liquid inthe barrel, thetube thus forming a siphon bottle.

to conduct the liquid from the barrel to the The gas-return tubes b I)do not extend either into the bottle or into the liquid in the barrel,but serve to conduct the displaced air or gas from the bottles to thebarrel.

Although I prefer to use the arrangement just described, it will beapparent that the gas-return tubes may be dispensed with and thefilling-tubes connected to the supply cask or reservoir in any desiredmanner without affecting the mode of use of my improved device.

Before proceeding to describe in detail the different forms shown in theseveral figures it may be stated generally that each filling-tube isconnected to or passes through a perforated stopper or cap which isadapted to cover the mouth of the bottle and to prevent the escape ofthe liquid between itself and the tube, and that a yielding clamp orholder is attached to or carried by the stopper and serves to hold thetube and stopper in place in relation to the bottle after they have beenbrought together.

In the construction represented in Figs. 2 and 3 the stopper is formedas a cap D,which is adapted to cover the mouth of the bottle E, and hasfixed thereto or formed therewith a rigid tube F, which is adapted toenter the bottle and forms an extension and virtually a part of thefilling-tube B. The cap may have a nipple d, which is adapted forconnection with the gas-return tube. In case the gas-return tube is notemployed I prefer to enlarge the nipple, as shown in Fig. 4, and toplace therein a float-valve d, which shall be upborne by the liquid whenthe bottle and the space between its mouth and the cap D are filled withliquid, and shall thereby prevent the escape of the liquid through thenipple. The cap is also provided with an extension or skirt d which isby preference substantially rigid and unyielding and is adapted toextend below the enlargement of the bottle-mouth and at that point tobear a yielding and elastic diaphragm G, having a central aperture g,which will stretch or expand when the tube and cap are applied to thebottle sufficiently to permit the mouth of the bottle to pass through itinto the cap or stopper, and will thereby retain the latter in place,even when the bottle has been filled completely and its pressure tendsto force the cap away from the bottle-mouth, the diaphragm forming anenvelop which closes tightly about the neck of the bottle and preventsthe escape of liquid. At the same time the operator can readilydisengage the stopper and the diaphragm from the bottle. The diaphragm Gis normally fiat, as represented in Fig. 4, but when applied to thebottle the portions around the central aperture turn up and remain inthe position shown in Fig. 2,

in which the pressure of such liquid as may escape between thebottle-mouth and the cap or stopper will have a tendency to make thejoint tighter between the bottle-neck and the encircling diaphragm. Asthe tube and stopper are withdrawn from the bottle the encirclingdiaphragm will assume the position represented in Fig. 3 and will form afunnel to return into the bottle such liquid as may be contained withinthe inclosed space, thereby filling the bottleagain to compensate forthewithdrawal of the filling-tube or its extension. The diaphragm may besecured upon the cap or its extension by any convenient means, as bybeing wrapped with cord or wire f. r

In the form of the device shown in Figs. 7, S, and 9 the encirclingdiaphragm having a central aperture is formed of a series of overlappingelastic plates g g, which may be riveted or otherwise secured to theskirt d of the cap or stopper D, and, being formed of stiffer materialthan that employed for the diaphragm shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, may begiven a suitable shape which will permit the bottle-neck to be readilyentered and withdrawn, and so that they may closely encircle the neck ofthe bottle below the enlargement near the mouth. Since these elasticplates are mainly for the purpose of holding the tube and stopper inplace and cannot be depended upon to make a tight joint which willentirely prevent the escape of the liquid, I prefer to line the upperportion of the cap with a suitable packing (1 such as rubber, which willmake a tight joint between the bottle-mouth and the cap.

It will be observed that, as the diaphragm or yielding envelop issupported by the substantially rigid and flaring skirt, the bottle canbe introduced by a simple direct movement in the line of its axis andthe proper connection established with certainty.

As bottling is commonly practiced, the operator compresses thefilling-tube with his fingers, and the result is that there is more orless leakage and Waste. I therefore prefer to support on or with the capor stopper a clip, which may be shifted readily by the operator tocompress or release the tube or may be actuated automatically when thetube and bottle are brought together. One form of this clip is shown inFigs. 2 and 3 as composed of a bent plate K, which is fixed directly tothe cap or stopper D and has an opening, as at k, to receive the tube ortubes. To the end of the plate is hinged a second bent plate L, whichhas a lip l to engage a hook Z, fixed on the cap D. The hinged plate Lcan be conveniently operated by the thumb of the hand as it grasps thetube and stopper, either to compress the tube or to be disengaged fromthe hook l to release the tube. If constructed substantially asrepresented in Fig. 3, the plate L will be disengaged from the hook Z bythe slight shock in applying the stopper and tube to the bottle. Asstated above, and as represented in Figs. 5 and 6, the clip may beactuated without the special attention of the operator. As shown portedin a fixed frame, (represented at M,) and to each stopper, or near it,so as to occupy a fixed relation therewith, is secured a springclip' N,which normally compresses the tube. The free end of the clip might beextended to form a movable arm which shall be shifted by the bottle asit is applied to the tube and stopper, or, as represented, the movablearm N may be separately pivoted upon the stopper or frame and may actupon the clip through an intermediate latch-piece n.

I have shown and described herein certain convenient and practical formsin which my invention may be embodied; but it will be understood that Ido not intend to limit my invention to the exact form shown or to anyother, as many different forms which embody my invention will readilysuggest themselves.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a bottle-tube, of astopper encircling said tube and adapted to close the mouth of thebottle around the tube and having a substantially rigid skirt, and ayielding envelop carried by said skirt and adapted to be slipped uponthe outside of the neck or mouth of bottle as the tube is insertedtherein and to close tightly about the same.

2. The combination with a bottling-tube, of a stopper and a yieldingdiaphragm having a single aperture to receive the neck of a bottle andadapted to encircle the same and to prevent the escape'of liquid fromthe bottle.

8. The combination with a bottling-tube, of a cap secured to the tubeand having an extended skirt, and an elastic diaphragm secured to saidskirt and having a central aperture to receive the neck of a bottle.

4. The combination with abottling-tube, of a cap encircling said tube, aclip to compress said tube supported in fixed relation to said cap, anda yielding arm to operate said clip and adapted to be moved to open theclip by contact with the bottle when the bottle and cap are broughttogether.

5. The combination with a bottling-tube, a gas-re turn tube and a bunghaving independent connections for said tube, of a stopper fitting bothtubes and adapted to close the mouth of the bottle around the tubeandhaving a substantially rigid skirt, and a yielding envelop carried bysaid skirt and adapted to be slipped upon the outside of the neck ormouth of the bottle as the tubes are inserted therein and to closetightly about the same.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' MELVIN E. DONALLY. lVitnesses:

A. N. J ESBERA, A. WIDDER.

